Cheers to a new President and our first female Vice President! It feels reassuring to have a leader who approaches the country with reason and empathy.
As President Biden said during his inauguration speech: “Politics doesn’t have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn’t have to be a cause for total war.” Those words felt grounding.
We still have a long road ahead as a country, but I’m feeling more hopeful than I have in a long time. And Amanda Gorman’s poem was incredible—what a moment.
Since we last checked in, Matt, Riese, and I discovered a new-to-us trail.
My favorite teal coat is almost too tight to zip anymore—probably time to give it a rest until after the baby arrives.
We explored Turkey Run Park in McLean with our friend Shane. It links to trails we’ve hiked before, like the Potomac Heritage Trail, but sits a bit farther north than our usual routes.
The route begins with a very long, steep set of stairs down to the water. Riese wandered confidently while I hovered nervously, worried she might tumble on the steep edges.
Once you reach the water, you can hike for miles in either direction. Because it was winter and the trail runs right along the river, we had plenty of scenic views and opportunities to follow little side paths to mini-beaches for rock-throwing sessions.
The hike was lovely overall, though the climb back up the long stairs to the parking lot left me breathless—stairs are definitely more challenging these days!
The baby bump is getting more prominent by the day—this photo was taken two weeks ago. I’ll share a pregnancy update next week; if you have any specific questions or topics you want me to cover, let me know.
I don’t have many food photos this week since we rotated through staples, Blue Apron meals, and leftovers. Lately my biggest craving has been roasted potatoes with lots of ketchup.
I elevated them with a sprinkle of parmesan and some chopped parsley straight out of the oven, plus salt and pepper—simple and so satisfying.
That’s all for today—just popping in to say hello. I hope you’re having a nice week and that you’ll try some of the new recipes I recently posted, including a peanut-sauce shrimp stir-fry, a healthy beef and broccoli stir-fry, and an Instant Pot vegetable soup.
I’ll leave you with a photo of Riese and her best buddy Zara. Riese is totally obsessed, and Zara is mostly patient with her toddler-style smothering affection.
We’re gearing up for another cozy weekend at home with more house projects. Have a great weekend—I’ll be back Monday with a recap.